I was trolling around facebook and I found a new iteration of an old, bad idea. The good news, I suppose, is that the wind has gone out of those angry, possibly envious, sails. The original site is now gone. But a shadow of sorts remains. With a shorter signatory list. And a founder, awol.

I’d be embarrassed too, if a tired and ornery joke I once told stuck to the seat of my pants despite repeated washings. If it were bad enough, my wife might suggest I get out my own damn’d spot.

What is the best approach in situations like this? Shine a bright spotlight? I shared this bad moratorium idea with a church music colleague (diocesan director of music, AGO, lover of chant and early music). She was relieved to find nobody she knew on the list. That would be embarrassing, she told me. Even to know someone who endorsed the idea.

Stage lighting with humor at the target’s expense: that’s what I find here. I don’t think I could muster the stomach for such an endeavor. I confess I visit about every two to three weeks and take a chuckle with me. It’s not on my daily must-visit list. Neither was that spoof of “Carlo’s” of a blogger prominent a decade ago for rampages in Massachusetts.

When is ignoring the silliness the best course? Probably a lot more often than I think. I think humor works best when it is shared, not directed at others away from myself. I think I appreciate Father D a little more than is good for my soul.

2 Responses to Dealing With The Distasteful

I will share that I follow three MA bloggers, one of whom is not wing nut, just Ahab-like, another fo whom is very labile in mood swings, and the third of whom is wing nut and can’t resist quoting himself all the time. They and their comboxers deal in vary degrees (and frequency) of denunciation about local folks, and I’ve always felt it’s important to be aware of those things – I don’t view being sheltered from violently opposing views as a virtue. The last blogger keenly feels rejected by his bishop (as a refused seminary candidate) and local parishes, and reads as someone who does not read other people well (and who feels absolutely no need to to so). [I mention that people too casually throw around autism spectrum armchair diagnoses for this behavior, and as someone with family in that spectrum, I’d suggest people resist that urge for a quick quip.]

about Todd Flowerday

A Roman Catholic lay person, married (since 1996), with one adopted child (since 2001). I serve in worship and spiritual life in a midwestern university parish.

about John Donaghy

John is a lay missionary since 2007 with a parish in western Honduras. Before that he served in campus ministry and social justice ministry in Iowa. His ministry blog is http://hermanojuancito.blogspot.com

He also blogs reflections on the lectionary and saints/heroes/events of the date at http://walktheway.wordpress.com

He'll be a long-term contributor here analyzing the Latin American bishops' document from their 2007 Aparecida Conference.